Winter Soldier and the Question of Freedom
- Dec 29, 2014
- 3 min read
I am not particularly a Marvel fan, but have always been a Captain America fan; because I’m an American, and it is the right thing to do. I went to the movie with the simple plan to see ol’ Cap punch people really hard and throw his shield around. If you are interested in my idea of the movie, the eleven-year-old who lives inside of me, and who is also very excited for Godzilla and the TMNT (but is disappointed Megan Fox isn’t a redhead), loved the movie. The adult and veteran in me was impressed by the method in which the question of freedom was asked and addressed.
No spoilers here, unless you have yet to see the trailer, in that case--your bad.
The biggest threat in the movie which Captain America needs to address is a program which SHIELD is putting into place, where perceived threats to American security are taken out before they ever act.
Captain’s immediate response was, “I thought the punishment usually came after the crime,” and “This isn’t freedom.”
This is to show the difference between these two ideologies: the Captain’s, who believes in the freedom to live our lives as we choose, and Shield’s, who wants everyone to live in safety and security. Both are founded in merit, but SHIELD is missing an essential point, or they understand it better than many are uncomfortable to admit. Freedom comes with responsibility, more freedom means more responsibility. Every time we ask someone to take care of something for us, we relinquish our decision making power regarding that something, in favor of reduced responsibility: less freedom, less responsibility. However, many people don’t want freedom, they want safety. There is a Benjamin Franklin quote about that.
It isn’t hard for any one of us to see the little points where we have allowed this to happen in our own lives. The big government example being the Patriot act. We have given up privacy in favor of security. The corporate example is similar. We give Facebook and Google that same privacy in favor of the ability to utilize their platforms.
Many people simply don’t mind, or are ignorant. Either way, they have consciously, and many times happily, foregone their freedoms in favor of personal security. This has allowed many to go about their lives, with one, or many less things to worry about.
But, as the Captain said, “This isn’t freedom.” Freedom comes with inherent responsibility, and with that responsibility there exists an assumption of risk. Whether it be the freedom of speech or the second amendment, these freedoms come with an unspoken responsibility. These are responsibilities that, for many, are too great a burden to bear. This is also a part of freedom: the ability to choose to exercise the individual freedoms available. You can speak, but will you? You can choose to defend yourself and others, but will you? Each has an inherent cost and a benefit.
In the end, the battles we fight every day aren’t nearly as exciting as the one Captain America and his friends had to deal with. But this is Hollywood, and who else is going to entertain our inner eleven-year-olds. Our battles are small, but no less important. We also have to understand that Scarlett Johansson, who is probably a really nice person, isn’t going to come save us.
** Originally posted on "This Ain't Hell" April 30, 2014
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